Table of contents for October 2021 in FineScale Modeler

As if it wasn’t enough for Hugo Garcia of Edinburg, Texas, to paint Trumpeter’s 1/35 scale Mi-24V in a stunning Tiger Meet scheme, he decided it needed more detail. “I scratchbuilt the main gearbox and fire extinguisher system along with the AL-9V auxiliary power unit,” he says. He also opened all hatches and avionics compartments and scratchbuilt all the interior components. The main gearbox started as a ½-inch PVC pipe and various sizes of styrene rod. He added the wiring and plumbing using various diameter lead wires and scratchbuilt the oil coolers and added details. He formed the APU on a lathe from solid aluminum rod. “I superdetailed the engines by adding plumbing and wires made from various sizes of lead wire,” he says. The Wings & Wheels Publications Hind…

SEND US YOUR PICTURES! Shouldn’t your model be in Reader Gallery? FineScale Modeler is always accepting new material from around the world. Upload high-resolution digital images (preferably unedited, RAW format) with complete captions at www.Contribute.Kalmbach.com, or burn it all on a disc and mail it to FineScale Modeler, Reader Gallery, 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. Be sure to tell us the kit manufacturer, model, scale, modifications, paint and finishes used, and reason for choosing the model, along with your name and address. We look forward to seeing your work!…

On July 17, 1969, two Salvadoran air force Cavalier Mustang IIs flew through a blue sky with scattered clouds and the beautiful Pacific Ocean coast below. If it was not for the dense smoke columns ahead, clearly signaling the fourth day of combat during the 100 Hour War, sometimes known as the Soccer War, between El Salvador and Honduras, Capt. Douglas Varela and his wingman could be flying for joy on a weekend. Entering Honduran airspace in their bomb-laden aircraft, Capt. Varela and wingman begin looking for ground targets. Instead they spot a lone Honduran Corsair and jump on it. Focused on their target, they don’t notice two other Honduran F4U-5NLs coming in fast until too late. Hit multiple times by 20mm cannon rounds from one of the Corsairs, the…

The Jackal High Mobility Weapons Platform designed by Supercat British Army entered service in 2007 and saw action in Afghanistan. The HobbyBoss 1/35 scale plastic kit is labeled as a Jackal 1, but the parts represent a Jackal 2. The 711 injected-molded parts come in dark yellow and clear plastic. Five vinyl tires and six frets of photo-etched metal (PE) are included. Despite the level of detail, there are surface imperfections and ejectorpin marks that need to be removed. Overall, the parts fit great, and any filler I needed were because of mistakes I made. Study the directions before you begin and plan subassemblies to make painting easier. I started with the major parts of the hull. Make sure the fuel tank and the cap (parts C64 and C65) are…

Modeler seeks liaisons When, oh when, will a model company finally issue a legit 1/48 scale Piper J-3 and L-4, as well as a Stinson L-5? U.S. liaison aircraft are woefully underrepresented in 1/48 scale, and it’s time for kit producers to look beyond tooling for yet another P-51, Bf 109, or F-16. Allied liaison aircraft would, I’m sure, be well received by the World War II modeling community and open up more possibilities for dioramas and competitions. Of course, there will always be those who assemble a Cub or Sentinel just for the “L” of it! Thanks for what all of you do at FSM to keep the hobby alive, vibrant, and relevant! -Morgan Montalvo San Antonio, Texas Ed.: Ha! For the “L” of it. I see what you…

Although difficult to steer and too heavy to cross some bridges, the Soviet Union’s KV tanks were nearly invulnerable to German tank-mounted guns in the early days of World War II’s Operation Barbarossa. I wanted to model a specific, well-photographed KV-1 named Merciless (Besposhadniy in Russian) that was donated by prominent Soviet poets and artists. Along with a vivid image of Hitler being blown apart, the turret features a patriotic verse, the tank’s name, the names of those who donated money to build it, and its battle record. The tank had a relatively long career — 9 months — before it was knocked out. Trumpeter’s KV tank kits are still some of the best on the market; they are comparatively inexpensive and have few fit issues. They do, however, lack…

Designed to replace the Douglas TBD Devastator, Grumman’s TBF first flew a few months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The event gave the big aircraft its name — Avenger. Although designed as a torpedo bomber, many Avengers ended up carrying conventional bombs and depth charges. Later versions could also be fitted with up to eight rockets under the wings. In 1943, Grumman gradually began to reduce the production of the Avenger to focus on that of the F6F Hellcat fighter, so Eastern Aircraft (General Motors’ aviation division) took over production of the bomber and the designation was changed to TBM. In 2005, Italeri reissued Accurate Miniatures’ 1/48 scale Avenger with a massive decal sheet with markings for six aircraft. Many modelers regard the original as one of the best…

The Royal Air Force’s heavy hitter in World War II, the Avro Lancaster is known for raids against the MAN factory in Augsburg, the Dambuster strikes, and the sinking of the Tirpitz as well as countless bomb runs over Axis occupied territory. Capable of carrying up to 14,000 pounds of bombs normally, the versatile airframe was adapted to carry 12,000-pound Tallboy and 22,000-pound Grand Slam bombs. Molded in gray plastic, HK Models’ new 1/48 scale shows beautiful surface detail including recessed panel lines and rivets. No flash is present, and no ejector-pin marks show up in areas that will be visible on the finished model. Parts such as the prop blades and wing trailing edges are scale thin. Most airframe parts join along panel lines and the alignment pins, although…

You may not realize it at first, but you are currently looking at a model of the XM-57, a super-secret armored vehicle with quality camouflage. Greg Garand of Rock Hill, South Carolina, built the 1/35 scale beauty after 13 years of grueling research. He says that while the construction was challenging due to nonexistent vehicle plans, it turned out to be a showstopper — as you can clearly see from the stunning finish. If you’re unfamiliar with the XM-57, allow Greg to lead you through its bizarre history. “One of my all-time favorite armor subjects from the Vietnam War is the XM-57. Only two prototypes were sent to Southeast Asia for combat trials. Both vehicles came to unfortunate ends. The revolutionary nature of the vehicle’s construction and its top secret…

AIRCRAFT 1/32 SCALE Heinkel He 100D-1 “He 113 Propaganda Jäger” from Special Hobby, No. SH32009, $57.75. 1/48 SCALE WWII German torpedo trailer from ICM, No. 48404, $23.99. Fw 190A-8/R2 from Eduard, No. 84114, $26.95. Weekend Edition. Soviet Attack Helicopter Mi-24P from Zvezda, No. 4812, $73.99. Spitfire Mk.IXc “late version” from Eduard, No. 8281, $49.95. ProfiPack Edition. 1/72 SCALE Mirage F.1CE/CH from Special Hobby, No. SH72289, $20. Adlerangriff from Eduard, No. 2136, $54.95. Dual Combo, Bf 109E-1/3/4 from June to October 1940German pilot figure included. ARMOR 1/35 SCALE Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf G (SdKfz. 161/1) early production from Tamiya, No. 35378, $61. Bedford QL Refueller from IBG Models, No. 35062, $TBA. WWII Wehrmacht leglEinheitz Pkw from ICM, No. DS3513, $TBA. Kit includes three vehicles complete with decals. FCM 36, (French light tank…

Funny where inspiration for models comes from. I owned a ’72 Chevy pickup with a camper shell for 27 years. Beaten by the sun and rusted by the California salt air, that truck had a unique appearance I thought would be fun to model. And with the new AMT 1/25 scale Coca-Cola ’72 Chevy Fleetside (No. 1231M/12) in my hands, the timing was perfect to model a camper top for the bed and create some rusty weathering. My intent was to build the truck out of the box, but the kit wheels didn’t fit the he era I wanted for the pickup — late ’80s or early ’90s. I sourced centerlines from a Monogram Shelby GT-500 and modified them to fit the kit’s tires. And while I had some fit…

Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon and its characteristic shape is synonymous with the Star Wars saga. I was thrilled to get my hands on Bandai’s Perfect Grade 1/72 scale Falcon, a real treat for a Star Wars fan and hobbyist. Not only is the impressive kit packed with parts and details not seen in other kits of the subject, it includes lighting. I was determined to build such a terrific kit as well as possible. I quickly determined I needed a plan as to how to build the model with painting and electronics installation in mind. From the beginning, I wanted to build the ship in flight with the gear up and the crew in the cockpit. Before working on the flight deck, I built up sections, like the inserts for…

Zvezda’s 1/144 scale Shchuka-class medium single-hull submarine can be built in one of two versions, either a Northern Fleet (400 series) or Black Sea (200 series) submarine. Shchuka is Russian for pike. The Shchuka-class was one of the Soviet Union’s leading submarines in World War II. The Black Sea (200 series) had 88 built between 1933 and 1945. No fewer than 32 were lost during operations, including 11 of the 16 assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. Most of those 11 fell victim to minefields laid by the Romanian navy, a threat that lead to the unusual modifications to Shch-209 as depicted in this review. The kit comprises 117 flash-free parts on three trees, plus a rocky base and thread for rigging. The comprehensive decal sheet includes both pre-war and…